| Australia’s Taiyo Aksu raced to his first world championship point in the latest round of the 2026 FIM Sportbike World Championship at the Autodrom Most in Czechia.
It was another new circuit for the AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha rider who quickly got up to speed in Friday morning’s Free Practice session. Further improvements before a small qualifying spill gave both Taiyo and the team confidence of two solid races, although P28 on the grid was far from ideal.
Despite the disappointment of being further back on the grid than hoped, Taiyo once again showed his natural talent as he carved his way through the pack to finish a credible twentieth in Saturday’s opening race.
Sunday saw a multiple rider incident at Turn One. Taiyo was able to avoid the carnage and was soon fighting for P14. A race long multi-rider battle ensued with the #89 crossing the line fifteenth after a frenetic tussle to claim his first world championship point in only his sixth race on the international stage – impressive stuff!
The series moves to MotorLand Aragon in Spain, a circuit that Taiyo knows, in a fortnight.
Taiyo Aksu: “Race one was a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions. I am happy with how I rode considering where I started. I made up ten positions in the first lap which shows I can be aggressive and overtake the guys at this level. On the other hand, I am not overly happy with the final position. My goal is to be in the points, and this is the focus. I made a few mistakes, but it is important that we keep working. That said I was confident of another step for Sunday. I am happy with race two and to get my first points in the world championship. I started P28 and made up twelve places at the start after I avoided some crazy riders. Step by step we are improving and I overall I am happy with the progress we are making. We are still lacking in a few areas, but the team are working well, and we are doing the best with what we have. I am excited for Aragon so see you there!” |
